Chef recommends

Two things I've been enjoying a lot recently:

1) Okkervil River. I feel like I get burned most of the time I take a risk and buy something recommended by Pitchfork, but something told me I'd like these guys. I do. Obviously I'm pretty behind the times (they've been around for some time), but if you like Spoon or newer Wilco then pick up both their new album (The Stage Names), and their older one (Black Sheep Boy).

2) The Road by Cormac McCarthy. Um, wow. For a plot that is kind of like Beyond Thunderdome I didn't expect much, but I nearly missed my bus stop yesterday morning, and then again yesterday evening, and I could barely make myself put it down and go to sleep last night. I'll finish it this evening, but it's incredibly powerful writing. I've not read McCarthy's other's stuff, but if it's half as good as this it'll be worth the time to go through his collection. (Normally I wouldn't recommend something on Oprah's Book Club list, but it's really that good.)

Chef Recommends

One in an irregular series of posts about things I like:

• Music: I've been listening to tons of LCD Soundsystem's "Sound of Silver" this year, and I'd say it's my album of the year by a wide margin. Other records in the mix: The National's "Boxer" and Wilco's "Sky Blue Sky".
• TV: HBO's "Flight of the Conchords". The New Zealand accents are funny enough, and while usually I hate shows that actively involve singing, these guys win me over with songs such as "The Tape of Love". Quirky without being too hipster.
• Food: Bacon bleu cheese burgers from Metropolitan Market. Wow. Read that again. Bacon. Bleu cheese. Burgers. Individually they are all champions, but together they are an unstoppable combo. Pippen and Jorden. Kobe and Shaq.

BTW, check out the Wiki page for Thumbs Up. Some pretty good stuff.